Jean-Paul: Albany County tutor
Certified Tutor
I'm interested in helping students and professionals to expand their personal and professional horizons through teaching French, Spanish and ESL English, as well as drawing from my experience living abroad to help the student to better appreciate elements of underlying cultural differences. If theyre as passionate about learning as I am about teaching, then we will have done our job.
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Undergraduate Degree: University of Massachusetts Amherst - Bachelors, Languages
Guitar, sailing, skiing, reading, fine art, baseball, hiking, tennis, snorkelling.
What is your teaching philosophy?
Teach to make learning fun.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Get a sense of their level of understanding and how to engage their interest.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
By making learning fun and providing them with the right materials to suit their level and interests.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Give steady feedback and know when to push and when to ease up.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Find another way to explain it - we're all wired differently.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
Use explanations and similes to help them understand beyond the immediate words or text.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Tailor and adapt the materials and teaching style to the student's level of comprehension and learning style.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Break it down and help them to achieve smaller, incremental victories - they'll eventually have their Eureka! moment and feel all the better for hanging in there and working through the initial adversity.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
Ask questions, ask them to paraphrase, make sure they feel comfortable admitting if they are lost.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
By helping them to achieve victories, no matter how big or small. Show them they can do it.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
By asking the right questions, listening and observing their responses carefully, and knowing how to read their verbal and facial feedback.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
By listening, probing, and relying on my experience to know when to adopt a new strategy more in line with their learning needs and style.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
An iPad or blackboard, and whatever materials are being used by the student.